Calls to Sadiq Khan on whether bus drivers paid below London Living Wage will be compensated

Sadiq Khan will be called to answer whether bus drivers unfairly paid below the London Living Wage will be “compensated”.

In 2017 it was discovered some bus companies contracted out by Transport for London (TfL) were not paying some of their trainee drivers the London Living Wage, despite being contractually obliged to do so.

In a written question tabled during an Assembly plenary meeting on Thursday, chairman of the London Assembly transport committee, Caroline Pidgeon, will challenge Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on the topic.

He must give a written response to her by February 12.

Ms Pidgeon said: “The Mayor has said he would be absolutely furious if even a single trainee bus driver is still being paid below London’s Living Wage.

“Yet for many years this was a widespread problem, despite the bus companies who employ London bus drivers having signed contracts with TfL stating that they will pay the London Living Wage to all their drivers.”

It was also revealed by Mr Khan in October 2018 that bus companies made it a contractual agreement to pay all their drivers the London Living Wage since 2009 – ten years ago.

But Mr Khan has yet to answer Mr Pidgeon’s question, which she first asked in November last year, about whether these drivers will be compensated for being under paid.

Ms Pidgeon added: “It is time the Mayor turned his anger into action, stood up to the bus companies and ensured that when legal contracts have been broken by bus companies that compensation is sought for bus drivers who have been paid below what they should have been earning.”

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